Interactive voice response (IVR) systems employ computer-telephony technology to automate many voice call system functions. IVR systems may be used to provide menu options and route calls in an organization, solicit data from a user at the beginning of a call, provide data in response to user inquiries and automate many complex functions, such as providing telephone banking services. An IVR session may be used at the beginning of a voice call to retrieve specific information from a person, such as an account number and request type, before routing the call to a live voice session with another person.
In order to interact with an IVR system to obtain data or services, a user typically is requested to select a numbered menu option or to provide information, such as an account number, credit card number, bank card number, or system access sequence. The user responds to IVR requests and inputs data typically by pressing keypad, touchscreen or keyboard buttons on a user device such as a mobile phone to generate dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) commands which are understood by the IVR system. If the IVR system employs speech recognition technology, the user may provide a spoken response.
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